A Captain and a Queen
by TheNorthernBelle
Summary: AU crossover Narnia/Avengers. The portal was supposed to take Susan back to London. Instead, she winds up in present day New York as SHIELD's newest recruit.
1. Chapter 1

So I saw something on Tumblr about Steve and Susan meeting in London, and then I somehow came up with this idea. Basically it is an AU where Susan ends up in present day times after stepping through the portal at the end of _Prince Caspian_.

I have plans for more chapters, but for now I'm just going to post this first part.

It had been twelve days since he woke up in this strange new time. Twelve days since his life had changed…again. Twelve days spent dwelling on the fact that he didn't fit here. There was too much that he didn't know, too much he had to learn. But he had to do it. He had to learn to fit in here, because apparently the world still needed Captain America.

So he had spent the morning in the bases' library, trying to learn about everything that had happened in the 70 years that he had been asleep. It was slow going, for there was obviously a lot to cover, but he was making the effort. His session was interrupted, however, when a SHEILD agent came by to tell him that Director Fury wanted to see him. So Steve levered himself out of his chair and began the trek to the Director's office.

He was about to turn the last corner, when the sound of raised voices reached his ears. He stepped forward, the office coming into view, but then stopped at the sight of the two arguing people. One was Director Fury, and the other…

He didn't know what caused it, but he felt his heart skip a beat. Maybe it was the painfully familiar curl of her hair, or the vintage look of her dress, or the shade of her lipstick, or the British accent in her words. Maybe it was all of the above.

"I know this is a hard adjustment for you," Fury was saying. "But you can't just expect – "

"Of course I do not expect them to just…bow at my feet!" the woman said irritably, interrupting the man with a wave of her hand. "But I _do _expect them to respect me. I have earned that right, at least."

Something about the way she held herself made him want to say she was military. But no, there was something _more _about her, something he couldn't place. Deciding that he had eavesdropped enough, he cleared his throat as he finally stepped into view, his apology clear on his face.

The woman snapped her head around, her face forming into a neutral expression at being caught. Their eyes met for just a moment, but that was all it took for Steve to learn something about her. She didn't fit either. It was all too clear in her eyes. And just as he could see it in her, he knew that his eyes were telling her the exact same thing.

"Is that all then, Director Fury?" she asked, breaking their connection.

"For now," he answered.

And with a nod of her head, she was striding down the hallway, the echo of her heels against the floor reaching back to the two men after she had turned the corner.

"So that was...?" Steve asked, jerking a thumb back in the direction that the woman had gone.

"A new recruit," Fury answered, his tone indicating that that was all the information he was going to give out at that point.

Steve nodded in understanding. And then it was back to business between the two of them. But he was determined to learn the truth about the mysterious woman; who she was, and more importantly, where she came from.


	2. Mourning

He doesn't see her again until a few weeks after the Chitauri invasion. The team had been sent to London to investigate some rumors of supernatural activity, but it had all proven to be a false alarm. Whey they had first gotten their orders, Steve had done some frantic research, hoping that he would have time to make this visit. On their last day in London, he finally made the time, only to find out he was one month too late. One month.

He spent nearly three hours by Peggy's grave, saying his goodbyes and trying to gain some closure. She would never truly leave him, but he had needed to come here and work through his grief in some way.

As he finally rose to leave, a haunting melody captured his attention. Peering over the gravestones, he eyes landed on a figure a couple rows away; she was the one who was singing. He wandered over to her, the grief and hope in the music pulling him in. As he got closer, he suddenly realized that it was the same woman whom he had seen talking to Director Fury; she must have been with the small group of Agents who had accompanied the team on the mission. All of his curiosity came rushing back, but he held it at bay as he listened to her song. It was in a language he didn't know, but its meaning was somehow still clear to him. She was saying her own goodbyes.

"That was beautiful," he commented when she had finished.

The woman whirled around, hands going to her eyes to wipe away the tears that still lingered. "Forgive me, I…"

"No, no, I didn't mean to interrupt," Steve said, fumbling for his own apology. "I just…heard you singing, and…" he trailed off awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

"Were you here to mourn as well?" she questioned after a brief pause.

Steve nodded. "I didn't expect to be, but…," he trailed off, not sure if she would really understand. Being a SHIELD Agent, she probably knew who he was and what his backstory was, but he knew nothing about her.

"No one ever really expects to. Not before their time, at least," she said, staring back at the four headstones by her side. Three of the four were old, and the inscriptions were faded. But near the bottom of each one, new words had been added, as though scratched into the stone by hand. _The Magnificent, The Just, _and _The Valiant. _The fourth headstone was much newer, and had _Caspian X _written on its face.

Feeling like he was intruding on her privacy by looking at the graves, Steve cast around for something else to say. "I've seen you around HQ."

"Oh, yes!" she said, finally rising to her feet. "Forgive me, Captain. I am Susan th- Susan Pevensie," she said, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Susan," Steve said, shaking her offered hand. And then, before he could stop himself, before he could think about the ramifications of asking such a question, he blurted out, "Why don't you fit?"

Any other person would have looked at him like was crazy to ask such a question. But not Susan. She merely sighed and shook her head. "Because I am like you."

"You were frozen in ice for the last 70 years?"

"No, not exactly," Susan said, the barest hint of a smile forming on her lips. "But I do come from your time."

"From my – you mean…"

"Well, no, I was not in America; I was here, in London," Susan explained. "I was just a girl, just one of thousands of children who had to evacuate." She turned to look at the headstones again, and Steve knew that she was remembering something both wonderful and painful.

"So then how…?" he wondered.

"It is a very long story," Susan answered with a sigh. "And complicated, and full of things that even you may not believe."

"Well so is mine," Steve said. "Maybe we could compare notes one of these days."

Susan studied him for a moment, seeking out the misplaced feeling that she carried with her all the time now. "Perhaps we will," she said, nodding her head in thanks at his choice not to pry for her story.

Deciding to leave her in peace, he merely said, "The ship back to HQ leaves in two hours."

"Yes, I will be there," Susan replied. As he turned to go, she called out, "Captain? Thank you."

"For what?"

"The compliment. No one has heard me sing in a very long time."

"Well…I meant it," he said, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. He saw her smile again, and returned it with one of his own. Then he turned to make his way through the graveyard, mind still burning with curiosity about her and her story.


	3. Return of the Queen

Susan was late for a training session down at the gun range, but she was in no real hurry to get there on time. She hated using the guns. Sure, it was a practical weapon for this day and age, but in those moments when she had to train with one she missed the elegance of her bow that much more.

_Still, if I want them to respect me as an Agent, I'd best not be too late, _she told herself as she quickened her pace. She was determined to make it in this new time. She had adapted to Narnia and had come to love the land. Perhaps she could do the same here, with time.

She passed by an open door and caught sigh of Director Fury and the Captain. She hadn't forgotten their meeting in the graveyard. She knew he was curious about her story, and part of her wanted to share it with him, but she held back. It would be nice to share her feelings about the time displacement, but she wasn't ready to divulge all of her secrets. Not even Directory Fury knew them all.

She had fully intended to just bypass the room, but then someone else stepped into her line of sight, and the object in his hands stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Explain it again," Fury insisted.

The blond man heaved a sigh. "As I have said, it just appeared in our armory. None of our warriors can bend it. Not even Sif and the Warriors Three. Even I cannot bend it."

"And what did the note say?" Steve questioned.

"' For the Gentle Queen'," Thor read.

Susan's heart pounded in her chest. _For the Gentle Queen_. Her bow! Could it be from Aslan? Her feet carried her into the room before she was fully aware of the movements. "I believe I can help with that."

The three men turned to look at her, each with different expressions on their faces. Director Fury seemed put off by the interruption, but also curious. Steve bore a welcoming smile, but it was the third man's look that held Susan's attention. It was one of understanding.

"You, My Lady, have been touched by magic," he stated

"As have you, My Lord," Susan responded. And just like that she was back in the court of Cair Paravel. It was obvious to her that this man was one of regal bearing; his stance and speech told her as much. And after so much time in Narnia, she could always pick out those touched by magic, no matter the type.

"What do you know of this?" Fury asked, nodding to the bow in Thor's hands.

"It belongs to the Archer Queen," Susan informed them, raising her head just the slightest. Her posture straightened too as she brought forth a side of herself that she had been keeping hidden. "She was also known as Queen Susan the Gentle, and a long time ago she ruled in a place called Narnia."

"What do you know of Narnia?" the stranger half asked, half demanded.

"More than you," Susan declared, holding out her hand. "If I may?"

He looked like he wanted to refuse her, but a nod from Fury had him placing her bow in her hands. She released a sigh of relief as her fingers closed around it, relishing in its familiar feel. Turning to the side, she quickly strung the bow and caught the string between her fingers, pulling back on it until she found her familiar anchor place.

"I thought you said no one could bend it," Fury said, though there was no real sense of accusation in his tone.

"And I spoke the truth," the stranger answered, his confusion plain as day.

"You could not bend it because it was not yours to bend," Susan explained as she released the string.

"And you mean to say that it is yours?"

Susan gave the men a measuring look, judging if she could share this secret with them. "Yes," she finally said, reaching her decision. "The bow is mine. I am High Queen Susan the Gentle.


	4. Remembering How

As expected, there were hundreds of questions for Susan to answer after her declaration. She answered what she could, and what she chose to. Much to Fury's annoyance, she would not answer everything, nor would she go into enough detail to satisfy his curiosity. Her identity may not have been a secret anymore, but that didn't mean she was going to give away Narnia's secrets and those of Aslan.

She made her escape when she could, wanting the peace of the hideout she had found in her first month at headquarters. SHIELD had a state-of-the-art gymnasium, equipped with the best work out tools, including an intense rock-climbing wall. What many people failed to notice was the access it provided to the beams supporting the high ceiling. A person with the right skills could easily scale the wall and the beams to reach the upper walkways, and Susan was one such person. It was her own place to go when she needed space to think, and it provided her with a perfect vantage point of the whole gym. She had never been disturbed there…until now.

"How did you find me?" she asked when Steve interrupted her thoughts an hour later.

"Lucky guess," Steve replied as he eased himself down next to her. When Susan just raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged. "You're an archer; I figured you would go to the highest ground. It's what Clint does."

"Oh. I haven't met him yet," Susan admitted.

"Well, he'll probably want to meet you soon enough, once word gets out," Steve guessed. He glanced over at her from the corner of his eye, taking in how tired she looked. "So…a Queen from a magical land, huh?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Yes. It sound strange, I know," she said as she turned to face him.

"No stranger than me being frozen in ice for 70 years," Steve pointed out as he copied her movements.

"I guess not," Susan agreed, managing the tiniest of smiles. "But I bet you've never met a talking Lion."

"Well, no," he admitted slowly. "But I do know the Hulk." He smiled as she laughed, though he noticed that the laughter didn't reach her eyes. "You miss it."

Susan knew it wasn't a question, but she answered anyways. "Every moment of every day. I keep expecting to turn a corner and see the familiar walls of the palace, or to literally run into my siblings and Cas – " she stopped short, hand reaching out to touch the bow at her side, to reassure herself that it was still there, that it all had been real. "But I can't go back."

"I know how that feels," Steve murmured. "Every day I wish for the familiar things of my past. Things here still don't make any sense to me. And every day I long to catch one more glimpse of the people I ended up leaving behind." He hadn't mean to share that last part, but he thought of the gravestones he had found Susan in front of and realized that they shared that level of loss as well.

Susan met his eyes, recognizing the pain hidden in them. "It doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"It hasn't yet. But…maybe. Who knows?" Steve commented with another shrug. He glanced at the bow again, wondering. "So just how good of a shot are you?"

Susan smiled, a true, genuine smile this time. "Choose a target," she challenged, picking up her bow and revealing the handful of arrows she had picked up from the gym's archery range.

Steve scanned the area below them as Susan strung the bow, trying to find something that wouldn't insult her with its ease but that also wouldn't discourage her if she missed. "There," he finally said, pointing to a soda can someone had left on top of a towel cabinet. Clint could easily make the shot, and if he was totally honest with himself, he wanted to see how she would compare.

Susan sought out the target, and then nodded as she rose to her feet. She drew back on the string, took a deep breath, sighted down the arrow, and loosed.

And missed. Just barely. The arrow embedded itself in the wall mere inches above the can.

"That's still really close," Steve pointed out, looking from her to the arrow. She didn't seem to me upset about it.

"I'm just out of practice," Susan confessed, swinging her bow around to slip it over her shoulders. She checked her watch and grimaced. "And I'm late. Thank you for the talk; I needed it," she said sincerely.

Steve nodded, watching her as she worked her way back down to the floor. He raised his hand in a small wave as she glanced back up at him, which she returned. And then she left.

He stayed up there for a few more minutes, sorting through his thoughts even though he knew he couldn't figure them out. Then he too made his way down to the floor, figuring it was time to head back to the library to do some more research. But before he left, he wandered by the soda can, wanting to see just how close Susan had come.

It was only then that he realized that she hadn't missed. There, dangling just below where the tip of the arrow had pinned it to the wall, was the soda's pull-tab.


	5. Getting Approval

**Sorry about the wait in between posts guys, but the holidays just got so hectic. So here's a gift from me to you. Thanks to all who are taking the time to read this; you are the reason I keep writing. Merry Christmas guys!**

Susan paced the length of her room, her indecision consuming her. She had had the weekend to think on things but she was still no closer to making up her mind. By now the news of who she was would have spread across HQ. SHIELD Agents may have been experts at keeping what they did secret, but when it came to keeping secrets about one of their own…they failed horribly.

So her question came down to this: did she acknowledge the looks and the whispers and the assumptions, or did she just go on with her normal routine? Voices drifting in from hallway finally made the decision for her.

"Is that her room?" a female voice asked.

"Yeah, can you believe the things they're saying about her?" another woman asked.

"No way it's true! I mean, a Queen? Really?"

Their laughter echoed through Susan's room, but it helped make her choice that much easier. She had never backed down from a difficult situation in Narnia, so why should she now?

Spinning around she threw open the door to her closet and reached for the garment at the very back. She had spent months making it, for nostalgia's sake, but now seemed like the perfect time to actually wear it. It was similar to an outfit she would wear out on the archery fields of Cair Paravel. Soft black leggings, and a simple brown undertunic that went under a forest green, knee-length tunic, which she belted at her waist. On the left side on the tunic, just above her heart, she had painstakingly embroidered a gold rearing lion. Well-worn boots went on her feet, and her bow went to its usual place on her back. She took a few moments to braid her hair into something manageable, and then she was ready. She was Susan the Gentle once more.

She took one last look in the mirror and tilted her head up just the slightest, holding herself as she used to. With one last deep breath she opened her door and made her way over to the gym. She didn't encounter anyone on her way over, but every single eye was on her once she stepped through the doors.

She paid them no mind as she made her way over to the archery range. She wanted to get in some practice time and compare these new "high tech" arrows to the ones she was used to. If she had to, she was sure she could get her hands on the materials to make some more, but it couldn't hurt to try the new ones out.

Luckily, the archery range was in its own enclosed place, so she would have some privacy as she practiced. Or so she thought. As the door swung shut behind her she noticed Steven and two other men standing around one of the targets. The man with the dirty-blond hair had a modern bow in his hands and a full quiver on his back. Perhaps this was the famous Hawkeye she had been hearing about. She didn't recognize the third man, but his focus was more on her bow than her face, so perhaps he had heard of her story.

"Captain Rogers," she greeted, deciding on the more formal approach in front of the strangers.

"Agent Pevensie," Steve replied, picking up on her hint. He added the slightest of bows to his greeting, which wasn't lost on his companions.

"So it's true," the brunette commented, finally tearing his eyes away from the bow on Susan's back. "Next they'll be saying Hulk is actually part fairy or something."

"Drop it, Tony," Steve ordered.

"No, it's fine," Susan interjected. "He has questions, as I'm sure everyone does. Though who he is to demand such escapes me."

Steve turned his laugh into a cough as Tony simultaneously glared at him and stared at Susan. "You're kidding, right? She's kidding right?" he asked, turning to the possible-Hawkeye.

"Clint Barton. Tony Stark," Steve introduced them, pointing to each man in turn.

Hawkeye and Iron Man then. "Well Mr. Stark, now would be the time for you to ask your questions of me. Unless you plan to just stand there gawking," she added as she slipped her bow from her shoulders.

Barton was the one to ask the question. "Was it you who made that shot on the soda can?"

Susan glanced at Steve, who merely shrugged. "You noticed that." It wasn't a question.

"You don't seem to need as much practice as you said," was his answer.

Susan smiled and shook her head before focusing her attention back on Barton. "Yes, that shot was mine."

"It's a good shot," he complimented.

"Oh, come on!" Tony finally interjected. "You can't tell me you think she's as good as you!"

"I didn't say that," Clint clarified. "But she is good. And she knows it."

"Then she has to prove it!"

Without saying a word, Clint handed over one of his normal arrows while Steve argued with Tony.

"Really, Tony, didn't you learn your lesson last time with Natasha?" Steve tried to reason with him.

"Oh, so now she's as good as Black Widow? Look, all I'm saying is that she shows up out of nowhere; her appearance is even stranger than yours. And then six months later she drops this bomb on us that she's royalty? No, sorry, not buying it, not without some sort of – "

Susan had been paying him no mind. Her mind was clear, focused, as it always was when she shot. The new arrow was different, but she was confident in her abilities. She had only to trust in the bow. So when Tony turned towards her during his tirade, his movements causing his tie to flutter out just enough, she shot, pinning the tie to the target's bulls eye and cutting the billionaire off mid sentence as he tried to move, and found that he couldn't.

"Will that do, Mr. Stark?" Susan asked as she lowered her bow, one eyebrow rising in an arch.

Tony tugged at his tie, but the arrow was buried too deeply in the target for him to free it without cutting it. "Yeah. Yeah, that'll do."


	6. Begin Again

_Title and inspiration for this chapter comes from Taylor Swift's song _Begin Again. _Also, I totally hadn't planned on ending this chapter this way, but it just sort of wrote itself. And now I have great ideas for the next chapter. Only thing is, I suck at writing action, so we'll see how that goes. Enjoy!_

**Begin Again**

It was nearly a month before Susan and Steve ran into each other again. After her stunt with Tony, she had been called in to meetings and training sessions with Fury and Barton. He figured they were finding out just how good she really was and whether or not they could use her as a field Agent.

He was out getting coffee when he finally did see her again. She was standing to the side of the line, staring up at the menu board, brow furrowed in concentration. "Weird how much coffee has changed, isn't it?" he commented as he stopped beside her.

Susan smiled as she realized it was him, then nodded her agreement. "I never knew there could be so many options."

"I tend to just stick with black coffee," Steve shared, moving over to get in line. He waved a hand towards the empty space he had left between himself and the person in front of him, inviting her to join him.

"Thank you," she murmured, taking the spot.

"So, how are things since the Tony incident?"

"Busy. I thought Director Furry had run out of questions for me, but I was mistaken." She hesitated a bit before asking, "Is he still upset about that?"

"Who, Tony? No. He's more…intrigued. You're still a mystery to him and he hates mysteries."

"But I'm not a mystery, not really," Susan protested as the line moved forward. "He forgets that he can simply ask me questions about the things that are confusing to him. _Anyone_ can ask," she added with a pointed look in his direction.

Steve blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck as she called him out. He did have a lot of questions; he just hadn't been sure how to bring them up. "Explain the lion?" he requested, gesturing to the pin on her jacket.

Susan reached up to touch the cool metal. After the first two weeks she had gone back to wearing more "modern" clothing, but she had commissioned the pin from a local jewelry store. She never went anywhere without it on. "He is Aslan, the true King of Narnia," she explained in a whisper. "My siblings and I ruled in His stead."

Steve was unable to comment right away, as it was their turn to place an order. "Large coffee, please, and whatever the lady wants," he said, reaching for his wallet.

Susan flashed him a smile of thanks, then requested, "I suppose the same – no, a hot chocolate actually. Please."

Steve paid, then lead the way over to the counter where they could pick up their drinks. Once done, they migrated over to a corner table by some unspoken agreement.

"So I'm guessing a talking lion wasn't the strangest thing about Narnia," Steve guessed, taking a sip of his drink.

"No, not at all," Susan said with a shake of her head. "I find it strange that the animals here cannot speak."

"Just one more thing to get used to about this place," Steve commented, looking around at the coffee shop. He wasn't sure that he ever would get used to it.

Susan nodded in agreement, taking a sip of her own drink, humming at how good it was. She wanted to ask Steve a question about the time he had come from, but their discussion got interrupted as an elderly couple stopped by their table.

"We don't mean to interrupt, but we just wanted to say how cute of a couple the two of you make," the woman said, smiling brightly at them.

"Reminds us of how we were at your age," the man added, arm around his wife.

"Oh no, we aren't –" "It isn't like that –" Steve and Susan rushed to say at the same time, blushes spreading across both of their cheeks.

"Sure you aren't," the woman told them, still smiling. She gave a little wave, and then the couple left.

Susan couldn't bring herself to meet Steve's gaze, so she settled on focusing on the cup in her hands. Steve just laughed awkwardly, but couldn't think of anything else to say. What they didn't know is that when the woman mentioned being a couple, their thoughts had instantly flashed back to those they had left behind; Steve thought of Peggy, Susan thought of Caspian. But then their loved ones had slowly been replaced by images of each other, wondering if perhaps…

Luckily they were saved from that line of thought by their phones going off. "It's Fury," they said together, eyes finally meeting, all embarrassment pushed aside.

"It can't be good then," Steve pointed out, getting to his feet. "Wait, why did you get the text?"

"Fury said he wanted to see how I could handle myself in a situation; I guess this is my chance to prove myself," Susan guessed, heading for the door.

"Right. Well, let's go see who, or what, needs saving," Steve said, leading the way back to Headquarters.


	7. Strategy

_I had meant for this chapter to be longer and to include the actual fight, but that shall have to wait until next time. _

**Strategy **

Steve and Susan were the last to arrive to the impromptu meeting. The rest of the Avengers were there, along with Director Fury and Agent Hill.

"What's going on?" Steve questioned as he unconsciously pulled out a chair for Susan before taking his own seat.

"It's all Blondie's fault," Tony declared, jerking a thumb in Thor's direction.

Thor glared back at him, but did not dispute the billionaire's words. "Heimdall had sensed an influx of dark energy being used to open a portal to Midgard from elsewhere. I set off to close it, but several creatures went through before I was successful. We are unsure if Loki was behind it."

"What sort of creatures?" Natasha inquired, leaning forward in her chair.

Fury pressed a button on the control panel embedded in the table and a hologram flickered to life, floating a few inches above the table's surface. It was of a creature out of myth. It stood on its hind feet, which were hooved, with thick shaggy fur going up its legs and covering its entire body. The head was massive, its likeness to that of some sort of animal, with horns curling around the top. It was unlike any creature the Avengers had seen, save Thor. And Susan.

"A minotaur," she and Thor said together.

"You know of them?" he questioned sharply.

"From Narnia," Susan confirmed. "They were both friend and foe in my time there." She studied the image for a few seconds, comparing it to her memories. "Though I do not think this particular one is from Narnia. I will be able to tell for sure when I see him in person though."

"Whoa, _see_ it? What makes you think you're getting anywhere near this thing?" Tony asked incredulously.

Fury opened his mouth, most likely to respond to Tony with equal snark, but Susan beat him to it.

"I was invited to this meeting. Fury had no way of knowing that I would be able to identify the creature, so that was not the reason for me being included. But seeing as I do have knowledge about the minotaurs, I would be a valuable asset when you do go to confront them. And I _have_ been training with Director Fury and Agent Barton for just such an occurrence, so I believe I am right in the assumption that this is to be my trial run for becoming a part of the team," Susan explained logically.

Tony waved a hand in dismissal. "Well yeah, sure, but you're a – "

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Stark," Natasha warned, piercing him with her scariest death face.

"_Queen_. I was going to say Queen," Tony declared, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Do you even have any experience with war and fighting?"

"Plenty," Susan replied, voice hard. "You have seen me shoot, remember?"

"Being a good shot and being a good warrior are two completely different things. And besides – "

"Enough, Tony," Fury ordered. "She's going. End of story."


	8. Battle Lost

_This totally didn't turn out the way I wanted it. Truth be told, I'm not really happy with it, but it is what it is. I'd appreciate feedback, because I suck at writing fighting scenes._

**Battle Lost**

There turned out to be four minotaurs that had gotten through the portal, and the group of them had take over a part of Central Park. Susan had hoped that diplomacy would be able to solve everything, but that was before word of the hostages had reached the Team. There was still some hope of resolving things without violence, but now it was clear that the minotaurs wanted something.

The Team entered the park about three miles from where the creatures were grouped, in hopes that they could do some reconnaissance first.

"All right, Clint, get up in the trees. We're going to need to see the big picture at some point, I'm sure. Natasha, you scout ahead, try to pin down the location of the hostages. Tony…just try not to blow anything up," Steve ordered. He wasn't sure why Tony had insisted on coming; Thor and Bruce had stayed behind in the mobile unit, ready to jump in if they were needed. They had agreed that it was overkill for the whole Team to go in when the area was contained and no weapons were in sight.

"Where is my place?" Susan asked, stringing her bow as she watched Tony make a face behind Steve's back.

"Right here, for now. I need to know what you know about these minotaurs."

"They're easily provoked, and very territorial. My guess is that they picked this spot because it is what is most familiar to them. Being in this strange land will have them even more on edge."

"What about their fighting style?"

"I've seen them wield weapons, usually axes or swords, but their brute strength can be a weapon all on its own," Susan explained, notching an arrow.

"So what good are arrows going to do against them then?" Tony asked with a snort.

Steve glared at him, but Susan answered him calmly. "The arrows are merely a precaution. I am still hoping that we can solve this peacefully."

"Fat chance of that happening. 9 times out of 10, things get bad when hostages are involved."

Susan shared a glance with Steve, glad that Tony turned away to answer a page from Fury. "You know, I never understood that phrase, a 'fat chance'," she commented.

"Me neither," Steve said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe it –"

"We have incoming!" Clint suddenly shouted from the trees.

They all spun around, readying their various weapons.

"Hostages and Nat first!" Clint cautioned.

"Tony, get them out!" Steve shouted as the group came into view, and for once Tony didn't argue. He and Natasha lead the hostages out of the park, leaving Steve, Susan, and Clint to deal with the minotaurs.

They stomped into view, pausing when they saw no trace of their prisoners. The one that appeared to be the leader bellowed, tossing his head at the sight of the warriors.

"We don't want any trouble. We can talk this out," Steve called out to them.

"There is no talking to be done, Human. We come on a mission, and we will see it completed," the leader announced, his words just barely understood.

"And who sent you on this mission?" Steve demanded, shifting his stance ever so slightly. If one of them was to attack, it would be the one on the far right.

"One who is above you," the minotaur answered, pulling a battle axe from a sheath on his back.

Susan's eyes widened as she recognized the make of the axe; it was Narnian. "I think they're Narnian. Their weapons are at least," she whispered to Steve. She took a step forward and addressed the group in Old Narnian. "_The only one above us would be Aslan, and I know He would not send you on such a mission."_

The leader snorted in surprise at the familiar language, but as Steve had guessed, it was the minotaur on the far right who made the first move. He hadn't waited to hear Susan's words. Instead he acted, throwing his own axe towards her when she moved forward.

It never reached her. A familiar whine sounded, and then it was blasted away by Ironman's hand canon. "So much for diplomacy," he said, landing in the middle of the two groups.

It was chaos after that. The minotaurs charged, each one going for a member of the Team. But it wasn't a fair fight, not with Tony there. He easily dispatched the leader with a well-placed blast, and the resounding cry of pain shook Susan into action.

"No, don't!" she screamed, firing an arrow and dodging the centaur in front of her and ramming into Tony's back, messing up the aim of his next blast. "Stop shooting!"

"Who the hell are you to give me orders?" Tony demanded, anger evident in his voice as he spun around.

"I'm their Queen, I can reason with them!" Susan tried to explain, firing another arrow to keep the minotaurs at bay.

"I've got news for you sweetheart, you aren't a Queen anymore! Thor, get her out!"

Susan's protests were lost on deaf ears. Steve was too busy battling his own minotaur to intervene, if he even would have. But the thing that hurt the most wasn't that she had probably failed her trial mission, or that she would most likely lose the respect of the rest of the team, or that Steve would see her as weak. No, it was Tony's words that stung her over and over as Thor flew them back to headquarters.

_You aren't a Queen anymore. _

No. She wasn't.


	9. Always

_Just a quick little blurb, focusing just on Susan this time. Next post will be longer, I promise! Also, I was really nervous about writing Aslan, more so than I was/am about writing Tony. Hope you like it!_

**Always**

_Susan knew she was dreaming, but she didn't want to believe it. She desperately wanted to believe that she was truly standing in the halls of Cair Paravel, its halls resplendent in the setting sun, and she herself looking every inch the Queen she was. And every single fiber of her being wished that Aslan was actually walking beside her._

"_You are troubled, dear one," the Great Lion observed. _

"_Why am I here, Aslan?" Susan questioned, knowing the Lion would know she meant New York._

"_Are you not finding it to your liking?"_

"_I was – am…it isn't home," Susan finally said. "I don't fit there."_

"_You did not fit in Narnia at first," Aslan reminded her gently._

"_Yes, but…this isn't my time. What can I possibly do here that others can't? Tony said it, I am not a Queen here, so how can I possibly – "_

"_Susan," Aslan interrupted fiercely. "Have you forgotten what I told you the day of your coronation? Once a King or Queen of Narnia – "_

"_Aslan, this isn't Narnia!" Susan protested, shocked that she actually had the courage to interrupt Him._

"Always_ a King or Queen," Aslan finished. His endless eyes bore into Susan's until she couldn't bear to look at them anymore._

"_I know I have a lot to prove," she admitted after a while, eyes still trained on the floor. "I have to prove things to You, and to the Team and Director Fury."_

"_And to yourself. A Queen must know when to sit back in order to watch and learn. This is what you must do now. Watch and listen and learn, and you will find your place in this new world."_

"_Can You not send me back?" Susan whispered brokenly._

"_I did not send you there in the first place. Even now I do not know what magic interfered that day."_

"_Oh," was all Susan could think to say. So she was truly stuck. _

"_You will get through this, Susan. And you will not be alone. You have your new friends, and I will always be there if you only look in the right place."_

"_I know," Susan said, still whispering. "But…"_

"_I know. They are not your family, nor can they ever replace them," Aslan said, giving voice to her doubts._

"_How are they?" Susan dared to ask. "I did research on the crash, once I knew how and where to look. Are they at peace?"_

"_They are," the Lion consoled her. "They are with Me."_

_Susan nodded, holding on to that piece of information. "I'll try to do better. I won't fail You."_

"_I never thought you would, dear one."_

Susan felt the dream slipping away from her, but clung to the strength it had given her. Real or not, she would keep her promise to Aslan.


	10. Advice

_It has been so long since I updated…I don't want to think about how long. Work got crazy, my muse left me, and nothing I wrote seemed good enough. BUT. I saw Iron Man 3 last night (amazing!) and now my Avengers muse is back. So I know this update is short, but I have a clear idea of where I want this story to go now. Thanks for sticking with me, guys!_

Susan kept to herself for the next few days, unconsciously avoiding the rest of the Avengers. She just needed time to think things over, consider what Aslan had said. She needed to find her place in this new time, but she also didn't want to loose who she had been in Narnia. She needed to find a balance between being Susan Pevensie and being Queen Susan the Gentle.

Eventually she sought Steve out, knowing he was the only one who would understand what she was going through.

"Susan!" Steve exclaimed when he opened the door to his quarters and found her standing on the other side.

Susan grimaced at the surprised look on Steve's face. "Sorry, I should have called first, or…"

"No, no, it's fine," Steve rushed to assure her as he stepped back a bit. "Please, come in. How are you?"

"Doing better," Susan answered, stepping through the door. Steve's apartment was sparsely furnished, though whether that was a result from his time in the Army or because he didn't know what to put in the room, she didn't know. Her own quarters were nearly as sparse, simply because things about this time still confused her. So her eyes lit up when she caught sight of something familiar. "Where did you find a rotary phone?!"

Steve's gaze followed Susan's over to the phone in question. "It was a Christmas present from Pepper. I have no idea how she found one, let alone got it work," he explained with a chuckle. "Tony probably helped, though he would never admit to it."

"It works?" Susan exclaimed, fascinated.

"Yeah, here look," Steve said, crossing over to it eagerly. He picked up the receiver and spun the dial, and the familiar sounds soothed nerves that Susan hadn't known were frazzled.

She jumped slightly as she felt her cell phone vibrate against her hip. Fishing it out of the pocket of her skirt, she saw an unfamiliar number showing up on the screen. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," Steve nodded, smiling. "Now you have my number, if you ever need it. It's linked to my cell, so if I don't pick it up after four rings, it will transfer the call to my cell. Another sign that Tony was involved somehow, I'm sure."

"Thanks," Susan replied, slipping her phone back in her pocket. She may have had trouble learning how to use the new piece of technology, but she couldn't deny that it was handy to be able to reach people, no matter where they were.

"So, what can I do for you?" Steve asked after a brief pause, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Susan took a deep breath, pushing away the feelings that it was a sign of weakness to ask for help. "I just…want to talk. I need your help."

"What kind of help?"

"Advice. On how to fit in here."


	11. Fitting In

**FITTING IN**

Steve made hot chocolate for both of them at Susan's request. She needed the warmth and comfort to continue on with the conversation. She curled up on one side of the couch, wondering where to start.

"I know this is hard on you," Steve said, breaking the silence first. He quickly backtracked as he realized what he said, stumbling over his words. "I mean – I know you've heard that a lot, from so many people, but…"

"No, it's all right," Susan assured him, smiling softly. "You actually mean it when you say it; the others don't, because they don't understand. Not truly."

Steve nodded in agreement. "When I first woke up, everyone kept saying that I would get used to everything eventually. And to some extent I have, but…it's like that feeling you get when you go on vacation. It may be the best vacation you've ever been on, but it isn't quite right because it isn't home. Does that make sense?"

"It does," Susan answered, curling her hands tighter around her mug. "We can never go home, never see anything familiar." She gazed off into the distance for a moment before focusing back on Steve. "When we were in England, when we met in the graveyard…I had had every intention of going to find my old street, to see what it looked like now, but I couldn't. It was hard enough seeing those graves, but I couldn't bear to see my childhood home gone too. "

"I know," Steve said, and he did. "I still avoid the areas of New York where I grew up." He wanted to ask her about those graves, about who they belonged to, but he couldn't; not right now.

Susan took another sip of the soothing liquid and finally asked the question she had come to ask in the first place. "So how do you do it? How do you fit?"

"It's as simple as it is difficult, if that makes any sense. You just need to find your place and your purpose."

"How do you mean?"

"You have to find the place where you can do the most good, where your strengths can really shine." When she still looked unsure, Steve searched for the right analogy. "In Narnia, it wasn't just you in charge of everything, right? You had advisors, councilors?"

"We did. They each had their own focus. We had financial advisors, training masters, tutors, delegates, the works," Susan answered.

"And why were they picked for their roles?"

"Because…it was what they were good at. They had proven themselves to be knowledgeable and wise enough to lend their opinions to the ruling of the realm," Susan said slowly, comprehension dawning.

"Apply the same logic now," Steve advised. "You could be a good fighter, you've proven that. But there's another area you're better suited for, and where you can better help SHIELD as well."

Susan smiled as a memory swam forward. "It's true that I fought for Narnia, but only when it was absolutely necessary; only as a last resort. Most of the time…I was the best diplomat out of the four of us. Peter didn't really have the patience for those long meetings; Edmund was a great battle strategist, but not a political one; and Lucy was always too quick to say yes just to appease everyone, even if it wasn't the best course of action."

"There you are then. SHIELD has its agents; they have the Avengers. But the Chitauri invasion showed us that we aren't alone. We'll have more visitors, no doubt about it. And when they come, we'll need diplomats to be our first line of defense."

Susan nodded, the idea settling within her. She could do that. She could prove herself again, just in a different arena. "Thank you, Steve," she whispered, giving him a brilliant smile.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," he replied, returning the smile and reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "Come on, let's go sit down and talk with Director Fury."

"Now?" Susan questioned even as she set her mug down on an end table and got to her feet.

"No time like the present," Steve pointed out. "You can do this. And I'll be here to help…if that's what you want."

"I do," Susan said without hesitation. And for the first time, she truly felt that everything would be all right.

_Author's Note: so this is all for this story. I may continue on with it at some later point, but I really don't have any more ideas left for it right now. Thanks to those who have read it; you'll keep the inspiration for more swimming around in the back of my head, I'm sure. _


End file.
